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Re: Hank Steinbrenner whines about Playoff system.

I'm not defending Hank, because he should have stopped at simply defending Girardi, but he's right about one thing: the difference between the Dodgers making the playoffs and the Yankees not making the playoffs probably has nothing to do with Torre vs. Girardi and a lot to do with how weak the NL West is vs. how strong the AL East is. How often do you see a 4th place team with a +90 run differential? Girardi must be doing something right just for the Yankees to be ahead of Toronto.

"Reality tells us there are no guarantees. Except that some day Jon Lester will be on that list of 100-game winners." - Peter Gammons

Re: Hank Steinbrenner whines about Playoff system.

I'll have sympathy for any better team not making the playoffs at the expense of a lesser team when there is a salary cap in place.

Is it fair that a better team doesn't make the playoffs? Probably not, but that's a random thing. It's not like the same team is getting screwed all the time.

Teams with smaller payrolls get screwed every day.

Absolutely. For Hank to essentially whine about having to compete with Tampa is beyond absurd. I was just giving him a tiny bit of "partial credit" for defending his manager, who, as far as I can tell, does not seem to deserve to be compared unfavorably with Torre based on who is and isn't making the playoffs this season.

"Reality tells us there are no guarantees. Except that some day Jon Lester will be on that list of 100-game winners." - Peter Gammons

Re: Hank Steinbrenner whines about Playoff system.

You know, I always think I see the demise of the Yankees coming, but this time I really think we're nearing the day. Consider:

1. Aging starters (Mussina & Pettitte, their rotation anchors this year, are old. And Pettitte may retire.)
2. Young starters scuffling. Hughes and Kennedy went backwards this year. Joba may have to stay in the pen to save his arm.
3. Rivera is another year older.
4. Rumor has it CC will sign in the NL, Sheets in the south and AJ Burnett in Toronto.

Bottom line -- possible pitching meltdown. Meanwhile, Boston will stay strong, Tampa Bay will too, and Toronto is looking solid. No wonder Cashman may decide not to return.

"Baseball is a very, very complex business. It's more of a people business than most businesses." - Bob Castellini

Re: Hank Steinbrenner whines about Playoff system.

Originally Posted by blumj

Absolutely. For Hank to essentially whine about having to compete with Tampa is beyond absurd. I was just giving him a tiny bit of "partial credit" for defending his manager, who, as far as I can tell, does not seem to deserve to be compared unfavorably with Torre based on who is and isn't making the playoffs this season.

I agree. What's absurd is Tampa having to compete with Boston and the Yankees.

Overall the sytem in MLB is slanted very heavily in the Yankees favor, hence their record of consecutive playoff appearances. ESPN last night reported on how few ABs and IP came from their draftees since 1996. It was one of the worst in baseball. Most franchises would be bottomfeeders with such a poor farm system but the Yankees continued to compete for the World Series year in and year out.

Re: Hank Steinbrenner whines about Playoff system.

If I feel bad for any team, it would be the Jays, though. They've had a team good enough to make the playoffs several times over the past few years if they'd been in another division, and it's got to hurt to be leapfrogged by the Rays the very first time they're even close to competitive.

"Reality tells us there are no guarantees. Except that some day Jon Lester will be on that list of 100-game winners." - Peter Gammons

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